International Development (MSc)

Two to three evenings a week full-time or one to two evenings a week part-time

This interdisciplinary Master's degree examines the issues, processes and institutions central to global poverty, inequality and development. It is ideal if you want to further your knowledge of, or are planning a career in, development agencies, international organisations, NGOs, or related areas.

The programme's core modules introduce you to key debates that have shaped thinking on international poverty and development, and will equip you with knowledge of the conceptual and theoretical bases of development. They will improve your skills of evaluation and analysis, enabling you to participate critically in debates on the changing nature of the multilateral, bilateral and non-governmental institutions designed to address development issues, the context in which they operate and the constraints they face. You will also have the opportunity to choose from a range of thematic option modules, allowing you to tailor the programme according to your personal or career interests.

In addition, you will develop transferable skills including team-working, written and oral communication, and qualitative and quantitative data analysis.

Highlights

The Department of Geography offers multiple approaches to the study of societies and cultures, human geography, and sustainability, poverty and development, as well as community and citizenship, at local, regional and global levels.

One of the unique strengths of our Department is the breadth of research interests of our staff. Subsequently, we offer a very wide range of courses that reflect the disciplinary breadth of development and globalisation, while also allowing you to engage with other disciplines, such as anthropology and sociology.

You will be surrounded by committed fellow students from all cultures, backgrounds and career stages who are eager to share their experience and expertise with their peers.

Ours is a vibrant research culture, powered by a shared passion for learning and intellectual engagement among our academics and students. We have a strong commitment to social justice, which informs and shapes much of our cutting-edge research.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), Sociology at Birkbeck was ranked 13th in the UK.

MSc International Development dissertation

Entry requirements

Good degree (2:1 or above) in social sciences or humanities. Other applicants will also be considered.

Previous experience or study of development issues may be an advantage.

Two references: preferably both academic references, but employer references may be considered.

International entry requirements

If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, the requirement for this programme is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 7.0, with not less than 6.5 in each of the sub-tests.

Visa requirements

If you are not from the European Economic Area (EEA) and/or Switzerland and you are coming to study in the UK, you may need to apply for a visa.

The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

Courses of more than six months’ duration.

Courses of less than six months’ duration.

Pre-sessional English language courses.

International students who require a Tier 4 visa should apply for our three-year evening study BA/BSc/LLB degrees, as these are classified as full-time study and qualify for student visa status. If you are living in the UK on a Tier 4 visa, you will not be eligible to enrol as a student on Birkbeck’s part-time evening study degrees.

Credits and Accredited Prior Learning (APL)

If you have studied at university previously, you may have accumulated credits through the modules you studied.
It may be possible to transfer these credits from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.
You should discuss this with the Programme Director when you are making your application.

Fees

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their programme. Tuition fees for students continuing on their programme in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the College Fees Policy.

Teaching

At Birkbeck, almost all of our courses are taught in the evening and our teaching is designed to support students
who are juggling evening study with work and other daytime commitments. We actively encourage innovative and
engaging ways of teaching, to ensure our students have the best learning experience. In the 2017 Teaching
Excellence Framework (TEF), the government’s system for rating university teaching, Birkbeck was allocated a
Silver award.

Teaching may include formal lectures, seminars, and practical classes and tutorials. Formal lectures are used in
most degree programmes to give an overview of a particular field of study. They aim to provide the stimulus and
the starting point for deeper exploration of the subject during your own personal reading. Seminars give you the
chance to explore a specific aspect of your subject in depth and to discuss and exchange ideas with fellow
students. They typically require preparatory study.

Our distance-learning and blended-learning courses and modules are self-directed and we will provide you with
interactive learning opportunities and encourage you to collaborate and engage via various learning technologies.
These courses involve limited or no face-to-face contact between students and module tutors.

In addition, you will have access to pastoral support via a named Personal Tutor.

Methods of teaching on this course

Lectures, seminars, group work and presentations.

Contact hours

On our taught courses, you will have scheduled teaching and study sessions each year. Alongside this, you will
also undertake assessment activities and independent learning outside of class. Depending on the modules you take,
you may also have additional scheduled academic activities, such as tutorials, dissertation supervision, practical
classes, visits and fieldtrips.

On our taught courses, the actual amount of time you spend in the classroom and in contact with your lecturers will
depend on your course, the option modules you select and when you undertake your final-year project.

On our distance-learning and blended-learning courses, discussion, collaboration and interaction with your lecturers
and fellow students are encouraged and enabled through various learning technologies, but you may have limited or
no face-to-face contact with your module tutors.

Timetables

Timetables are usually available from September onwards and you can access your personalised timetable via your
My Birkbeck Profile online (if you have been invited to enrol).

Indicative class size

Class sizes vary, depending on your course, the module you are undertaking, and the method of teaching.
For example, lectures are presented to larger groups, whereas seminars usually consist of small,
interactive groups led by a tutor.

Independent learning

On our taught courses, much of your time outside of class will be spent on self-directed, independent learning,
including preparing for classes and following up afterwards. This will usually include, but is not limited to,
reading books and journal articles, undertaking research, working on coursework and assignments, and preparing
for presentations and assessments.

Independent learning is absolutely vital to your success as a student. Everyone is different, and the study time
required varies topic by topic, but, as a guide, expect to schedule up to five hours of self-study for each hour
of teaching.

On our distance-learning and blended-learning courses, the emphasis is very much on independent, self-directed
learning and you will be expected to manage your own learning, with the support of your module tutors and various
learning technologies.

Study skills and additional support

Birkbeck offers study and learning support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.
Our Learning Development Service can
help you in the following areas:

Assessment

Assessment is an integral part of your university studies and usually consists of a combination of coursework and
examinations, although this will vary from course to course - on some of our courses, assessment is entirely by
coursework. The methods of assessment on this course are specified below under 'Methods of assessment on this
course'. You will need to allow time to complete coursework and prepare for exams.

Where a course has unseen written examinations, these may be held termly, but, on the majority of our courses,
exams are usually taken in the Summer term, during May to June. Exams may be held at other times of the year as
well. In most cases, exams are held during the day on a weekday - if you have daytime commitments, you will need
to make arrangements for daytime attendance - but some exams are held in the evening. Exam timetables are
published online.

Methods of assessment on this course

Careers and employability

Graduates go on to careers in development agencies and other international organisations, policy research, journalism, or the non-governmental sector. Possible professions include policy researcher or journalist. This degree can also be useful in becoming a market researcher or tourism officer.